Ravens New Offense Will Share Core Principles With Sean McVay's Rams Scheme. As McVay Explains

If you want to know what the next big thing is in NFL offensive evolution you study Sean McVay’s scheme. Ravens rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, who just turned 30 and has never called a play before, certainly has and will continue to do so.

McVay is a beacon on any trends and strategies at the vanguard of the modern NFL chess match between offense and defense, he is very close with Broncos coach Sean Payton, and Payton is Doyle’s primary mentor and sounding board. So no one better to probe about what might be coming to Baltimore this season as Doyle rolls out his own version of what he has barrowed from Payton and McVay (and Bears coach Ben Johnson whom he worked under last season).

As we know from our in-depth chat with Payton on “The Daily Flock Show,” he and McVay exchange ideas and both have some very strong core beliefs that overlap and have been imparted to Doyle. Running your offense less out of pistol and shotgun and more under center is chief among them. And trying to shock defenses with aggressive play-calling on early downs – often out of heavy run looks from under center with play action – is another pillar.

“There’s a lot of cool stuff with guys like Lamar and Caleb,” McVay said, “and you can change the math (in the box) with offset gun fakes, and put that DE in conflict - is it a zone read? And some of that different action. But I would say this - we are big on marrying the run and pass and the under center element does give you a cleaner (play) action, at least for us. And that’s something I learn going back to the foundation of what I learned under (Jon) Gruden and (Mike) Shanahan …

“You go back to Bill Walsh - the timing and rhythm of football is predicated on under center drops – three-step drops, five-step drops, seven-step drops. We adjust with shotgun … but you're still taking your eyes off the defense. There are a lot of benefits to it. I’m not really revealing any trade secrets here. That is something we believe in."

Doyle's Core Beliefs Explain The New Offense

Neither Payton nor McVay were surprised to see Johnson and Doyle get uber-athletic quarterback Caleb Williams – one of few comps to ever play the game for Lamar Jackson – under center about as much as QB in the NFL after he was exclusively in the gun in college and in it over 75% of the time as a rookie before Johnson was hired.

McVay and Johnson were 1-2 in use of play action last season (Payton was barely outside the top 5), while the Ravens were 26th. No team is in the gun less than the Rams since McVay took over, including last season; Doyle and Johnson used it the fifth-least in the NFL, and while Todd Monken was moving to more under center, Lamar has been in the gun more than any NFL QB since he became a fulltime starter.

That’s going to change and Doyle is also going to be utilizing up-tempo pace much more frequently and much more play action. And being under center drastically improves the impact of that play action. Taking early-down deep shots out of 13 personnel is something else to watch for, and McVay seemed to agree that more motion is coming (especially for Zay Flowers) and pursuit of chunk plays on first down.

Flowers and Jackson kept using the word “explosive” in explaining why they are so excited by what Doyle is implementing.

“I think you’re right Jason,” McVay echoed on trying to shock defenses on early downs remaining at the core of what the best play callers want to do. “You talk about Ben Johnson and Declan Doyle and going back to that Sean Payton influence, you know how much love I have for Sean, and I think Ben has done incredible job …

“I’m not a big stat guy, but there are a couple of stats that really influence the outcome of a game more so than any other, than what they talk about. Obviously, the takeaway margin is huge … But explosive play margin. Everybody talked about EPA (Expected Points Added), well that’s a big thing that’s reflected in EPA …

“Those opportunities to be aggressive on early downs can especially change the field position … it does change the way I can be more aggressive. I have leaned into it.”

So has Payton, for decades, and Johnson in making the Lions offense among the envy of the NFL and then reinventing the Bears offense on the fly. McVay is watching close and they watch him. And all of it will be reflected in what Jackson is asked to do this season.

“Shoot, I’m not afraid to steal plays,” McVay said. “Ben and those guys, I’ve studied pretty closely last couple of years, and they do a great job. And I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about Declan, and I’m sure he’s going to do a fantastic job.”

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